Gates of Hell
by Dylan Shelby
Summary: AU. "You can stand me up at the gates of Hell but I won't back down. No I won't back down." A hero, his love, and a war all combine together.


Title: Gates of Hell

Author: Dylan Shelby

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Summary: "You can stand me up at the gates of Hell but I won't back down. No I won't back down." A hero, his love, and a war all combine together.

Author's Notes: AU. 3rd in Forever Series. This is war. // means memory// 

I really loved writing this story. It is probably my favorite. You do not have to have read the first two to get this one. I promise. Just know that when Rafe left for England, Evelyn followed a few weeks later.

~*~*~*~

"The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet (1803-1882).

~*~*~*~

"NOW! NOW! NOW! GO! GO! GO!" The commander screamed! Men to their planes the Germans were coming again and it was time to fight back! Rafe ran to his plane and jumped in. Yelling to just get what needed to be done, done. Turned it on, making the switches move and getting ready to fight back. The hero was in his element. Fighting evil was what he lived for. That pride that grows in you and swells to a point where you can do nothing but fight for what was right was now enveloping him and he was doing nothing to stop it. No the more his instincts took over the more he became in his element. A hero's status.

Silence.

"EV'LYN!" was the last words on the man's lips. And no other noise could be heard.

~*~

"EVELYN!" one of the nurses screamed. Evelyn ran to where the voice came from. They were bringing in body after body. Evelyn quickly scanned making sure they weren't Rafe and with everything she had tried her best to save them. It seemed like nothing would stop until it finally did. Like listening to the percussion and with one final bang nothing but silence filling the senses. It was at that moment that Evelyn collapsed.

She didn't wake up until much later and somehow in her own cot. She quickly stood up, but had to sit down because of the blazing headache. "Evelyn? Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked coming into the room. "I'm fine, what happened?" "You collapsed honey. But don't worry you're going to be okay." Evelyn nodded. "What time is it?" she asked. "Nearing midnight." Elizabeth answered. And just as she did the door opened letting Molly into the room.

Evelyn didn't notice the tears streaking down Molly's face until she was standing in front of her. "What is it Molly? What happened?" Evelyn's voice full of concern. Molly shook her head, she didn't want to tell her friend the news. Every time she started she had to put her hand to her lips to keep the tears back. "Molly. What is wrong?" Elizabeth demanded. Molly turned to Elizabeth and shook her head. Finally Molly regained her composure and took Evelyn's hand.

"I was talking to one of the pilots that came back. He said that Rafe.... that Rafe..." "That Rafe what?" Evelyn asked frantic. "I'm sorry honey, Rafe didn't come back." And this time Molly started crying. For her friend and for the man she knew. Elizabeth sat back silenced. Evelyn's world crashed. No sound, no light, no darkness, no matter, no weight, nothingness was all that surrounded her. 

//"You are so beautiful." She smiled at her husband. Her husband! Just a mere thirty minutes ago they had been pronounced Man and Wife. It was unbelievable. She leaned in and kissed him. And she kept kissing him. Refusing to give him up this day. Their wedding day. A day that was theirs and theirs alone. "So Mrs. McCawly, what do you feel like doin'?" She shook her head at him. "Don't you even try to be coy with me _Mr_. McCawly it won't work." He gave her a big cocky grin and leaned down to kiss her again.

Although privacy wasn't something normally found in war Rafe had managed to find a room secluded and very private. "How did you find this place?" she asked when they entered. "One of the guys owed me a big favor." he said by way of explanation. She really didn't have to ask what Rafe had done. Rafe suddenly got quiet as he approached the bed. "What is it?" she teased. "Nothin'." he replied. She knew better than to believe that, but let it go for the moment. She went to sit next to him, but his arms reached for her and pulled her down onto his lap. He then proceeded to start tickling her which made her cry out with laughter.

Rolling her beneath him he kissed her. Long, slow, passionate kisses that took moments to complete. Building the passion and excitement to reach a peak they had never known together. In the later hours when both were wrapped up in each other Evelyn whispered her love. Rafe kissed her forehead and whispered the echoing words, "Forever, that's the whole point." //

Evelyn's life had stopped. Dieing the moment that Molly had told her of Rafe's death. There was nothing in existence to Evelyn for she herself did not exist. So when the head nurse called her into her office, it wasn't real and it didn't matter. "Evelyn, I have heard you just lost your husband so I am reluctant to give you this, but I have been told I have no choice." her voice full of sympathy. A sympathy that was lost on Evelyn for she wasn't there to take it and lean on it. 

Evelyn's hand moved to the paper, France. She was being sent to France. To see what the war was like even more up close. It wasn't enough that she had seen war's entrails, but now she had to see it split open wide with nothing to protect her from it's consuming disease. And although some part of her registered that this wasn't going to be safe and she probably wouldn't make it home, Evelyn didn't pay it much heed. Her life and love were dead, and with that she nodded her head to the acceptance of the assignment.

With whatever strength she had left of the day she sat down and wrote out the telegram. 

-Danny, Rafe died today. Shot down over the English Channel. I am so sorry. Evelyn. -

Now with everything that was inside of her Evelyn made it to her room to pack, but couldn't do it. And fell on her cot to get through the hell that she was now in.

_The sand was warm heated by the golden sun above. She dug her toes into it trying to get warm. She wrapped her arms around her body trying with everything she had to get warm. She closed her eyes and breathed in the warm salty air. All of her senses were heightened as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist in a soothing embrace. She wrapped her own arms around his and held on for dear life._

_"I miss you." her voice a whisper on the sea. "I love you." his voice sounded back. "Stay with me?" the pleading request. "Forever... that's the whole point." the promising reply. One last lingering kiss and he was gone._

Evelyn awoke quickly. Forever. The Gates of Hell couldn't stop them, they were forever. 

~*~*~*~

The End.

So how'd you like it? Ready for the next one? It is coming a little later. 

Reviews are like roses, I love to be showered by them. Or is that Kevin Spacey in American Beauty? Can't ever remember.

Oh and the dream sequence was taken from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

~ Dylan.


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